The Midnight Club
by Myka
Summary: When Remus gets kidnap by a pair of vampires, Sirius goes after him. But all is not what it seems and someone's obsession could change everything. SBRL
1. The missing snack

The Midnight Club

by myka

Chapter 1

Pairings: Sirius x Remus

A/N: A new story, how wonderful. Sadly my class schedule doesn't think this is so wonderful at all. In fact it thinks it's bad, bad, bad for my studies. Ummm…good thing I'm pretty optimistic XD Much thanks to the beta ^-^

Story premise: Slight AU. Set in the beginning of OoTP. Sirius and Remus are lovers. It's a Saturday evening and Harry is staying over for the weekend.  

~~~ 

Sirius stood frozen. Every single muscle in his body refused to move. 

His eyes couldn't believe what he was seeing.  

It was gone, completely gone; there was nothing left… 

Somebody had eaten his fruitcake.  

"Harry! Remus!" 

One floor above, Harry and Lupin exchanged a look of bewilderment. 

"Did you hear something?" Harry asked, raising his head from the assignment that Lupin was helping him finish. 

"It sounded like a scream," the older man replied, then shrugged it off. "It's probably just this old house," he added as he continued the tutoring lesson.  

"Lupin!" 

There it was again, and this time Remus heard it loud and clear. His last name. Sirius yelling his last name, to be precise. That was not good. Whenever Sirius used his last name, it usually meant that he was angry.

"Where are you, Lupin?!" 

Very, very angry. 

Remus looked at Harry, who had 'guilt' plastered all over his face. "What did you do, Harry?" he asked with a bit of urgency. He could hear Sirius' footsteps rushing up the stairs. 

"N-- Nothing," the young teen stammered, trying very hard to make himself invisible. 

"You didn't by any chance eat a certain desert in the fridge that Sirius specifically told you not to eat?"

Harry kept silent, and Remus sighed. It wasn't really Harry's fault; Sirius shouldn't have asked for such a silly request. The teen was only staying with them for the weekend, after all, as a special favor for Dumbledore. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll deal with this. Besides, it's time I tell Sirius exactly what I think about this sugar binge of his."

Harry smiled. He hadn't meant to eat the fruitcake, but at the time it had been the only dessert in the house.  

The door burst open, and Remus smiled warmly at Sirius, who seemed as if he wanted to kill something. 

"Who ate it?" he snapped.  

"I gave it to our guests yesterday," Remus lied in his most pleasant voice. Harry remained frozen on his spot. Sirius's eyes widened, and, for a moment, Harry waited for his godfather to unleash his wrath upon Remus.  

"But Moony, that was _my fruitcake!" Sirius suddenly bellowed with disappointment, his reaction taking Harry completely unaware. "Do you know what I had to go through to get it?"_

"Actually, you begged me to go buy it," Remus interrupted, crossing his arms. 

"Exactly!" Sirius pointed out enthusiastically.

Remus laughed a bit to himself. "We'll get you another one, won't we, Harry?" he asked the teen. 

"Y-- Yes!" Harry replied immediately.  

"Thank you, Moony!"  Sirius smiled broadly, throwing his arms around Lupin's neck and holding him tightly. "You're always reminding me why I love you so much."

"I love you too, Sirius, but I still need to breathe," Remus choked. Sirius let go of his lover and kissed his brow softly.  

"The store closes in less than an hour, and it's already nightfall. Maybe it would be best if we went tomorrow," said Lupin, but one look at Sirius's eyes made him change his mind. "But I guess we could make an exception and go now.  Shall we, Harry?"

Harry stood up quickly as he nodded. "We'll be back in a bit, Sirius.  Don't get into trouble."  Remus smirked.  

"How can I possibly get into trouble?  I can't go out, remember?"  Sirius scowled. 

"I know, love.  We'll hurry. C'mon, Harry."

Harry followed Lupin out of the room, down the stairs and out of Twelve Grimmauld Place. The sun had already set, letting the half-moon show plainly on the starry night sky.  "Thanks for the aid."  Harry grinned as they started their way down the sidewalk. The store was just a few blocks down, an easy walk from the house, and it was too risky to fly there. It was very quiet outside; the occupants of all the other houses seemed to have called it a night, even though it wasn't that late. Then, three houses down the path they heard a noise.  

"What was that?" Harry asked, confused by the sound.

"I think it sounded like a growl," Lupin tried to answer.  

"It's not any growl I've ever heard before."

Lupin nodded as he took a cautious stance; he hadn't been a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for nothing. He searched inside his robes for his wand, and when he was about to grab it, a big black blur slammed into him, knocking him off his feet and driving him to the ground.  

"Lupin!" Harry yelled, bringing out his own wand and pointing it at the attacker. It wasn't a big animal as Harry had expected, but a woman, a very fierce-looking woman.  "Stupefy!"  

The woman dodged the spell with ease so that it landed just a few inches from Lupin. The woman growled, and Harry got ready to cast the spell again when a string of icy fingers wrapped around his wrist, keeping the wand back.

"Get away, Harry! They're vampires!" Lupin yelled as he rose from the ground. The woman who had lunged at him took the opportunity to disappear.

"Vamp..."  Harry's eyes went wide as he turned around, the icy grasp still around his wrist. The male creature looming above him sneered, showing his fangs. Harry had a second to gasp when another growl was heard and the vampire released him as he was taken down by a huge black dog. 

The vampire snapped at Sirius, keeping the canine jaws away from him with his hands. The vampire rolled to the side, using the force to push Sirius away. Lupin got his wand ready to defend his lover. The male vampire just snickered, jumped high up into the sky and disappeared.  

"Is everyone all right?" Lupin asked in a tired voice. Harry nodded and Sirius walked up to him and licked his palm. Remus crouched down to the ground. "I guess you'll have to wait for that fruitcake, eh?"

The dog just wagged his tail.  

~~~ 

A slender woman sat at a rooftop, tapping her slightly tanned fingers repeatedly against the wooden roof in quiet anxiety. She watched as the group she had just attacked started their way back to their living quarters. She felt the presence of the one she awaited behind her.  

"That was annoying," her companion huffed as he sat down by her side. "Where the hell did that dog come from?"

She blinked at him, her green eyes narrowing a bit. "It's not like it hurt you, and you didn't hurt it."

"Because it wasn't in the plan."  

She grinned. "Sure, Mikael, whatever you say."

Mikael scowled at her. Then he sighed; he just couldn't stay angry at her for too long. "Is it him, Mara?"

She nodded. "That's him, brother."

"So what do we do?"

"The kid will be gone tomorrow. It's better to wait." 

"We'll wait, then," Mikael replied calmly. "We'll take the werewolf during the week."

Mara grinned. "During the week it is."

~~~

A/N: Feedback appreciated ^-^


	2. Just one now

The Midnight Club

by Myka

Chapter 2

Pairing: Sirius x Remus

A/N: I want to thank all who reviewed the first chapter. Made me script the second chapter that very same night. Many thanks to Amber for betaing.

~~~

It was Sunday morning, and already the vampire attack had been forgotten at the home of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. It had instead been replaced with family time because Harry would be returning to Hogwarts that afternoon. 

Harry cooked breakfast as a thank you gift (and also because he still felt guilty about the fruitcake), and afterward he and Lupin finally went to the market to replace it. Sirius was one happy wizard when the dessert was back on the fridge, and this time he secured it by placing a sealing charm on it. A few rounds of wizard chess, during which not even Sirius and Harry together could beat Remus, filled the afternoon. Before long it was four o'clock, time for Harry to leave. 

Everyone said their goodbyes and at exactly ten past four, Harry threw the floo powder in his hand into the fireplace. "Gryffindor common room!" he yelled. The time had to be precise, because that was when Ron and Hermione had promised to have the room deserted. 

After Harry was gone Sirius, smiled warmly at Remus. "So, what's for dinner?" 

~~~ 

On Monday, their usual routine took place. Remus woke to Sirius's loud snoring and had to untangle his lover's arm from his waist in order to get out of bed and prepare some breakfast. 

It was surprising how the house had emptied itself out after the semester at Hogwarts had started. The visit from Harry had been a nice change of pace, but Remus had to admit he liked it like this, a big house just for himself and Sirius. 

By early evening, Remus was at the study going over some papers for the Order while Sirius fed Buckbeak. There was a soft tap against the window, and Remus blinked in surprise when he spotted an owl there with a letter attached to its foot. Remus opened the window and untied the letter from the owl's paw, reading it silently as the bird flew away. 

He scowled at the words written on it and headed upstairs to Sirius. Sirius had already finished feeding Buckbeak and was on his way down the hall when Remus caught up with him. "I have to go out for a short while," he announced. 

"Out?" Sirius asked. 

Remus nodded.  "I just got an owl from Alastor asking me to meet him on one of the Muggle pubs not too far from here." 

"But it's after dark, Moony," Sirius protested, remembering Saturday night's attack. 

"It's for the Order, Sirius, and the letter said it was important." 

"Then why doesn't he stop by the house?" Sirius asked, still suspicious. 

"Maybe he can't, Sirius. That's why I have to go." 

"But Remus…" 

"No but's Sirius. I'll be back soon. Don't worry," Remus finished, leaning forward and giving Sirius a peck on the lips before turning around and heading out. 

Sirius stood there for a while, his suspicion and worry not minimizing one bit. 

~~~ 

Remus refused yet another drink offering from the bartender as he sat on a stool waiting for Alastor to show up. He had been waiting for around fifteen minutes now, and he was starting to get restless. Five more minutes passed, and Remus stood from his spot and left the establishment, looking around for anything unusual. 

The letter had seemed a little suspicious, but it wasn't the first time he had been asked to meet in secret for the Order. He had expected someone, if not Alastor; to be there, but no one had shown up. 

He headed back toward home, and when he was halfway there, a sudden gush of wind reached him and made him freeze on the spot. 

"Good evening, Mr. Lupin," a cold voice spoke from behind him. 

Remus turned around, his eyes going extremely wide. A woman about his height with short dark hair and green eyes, accompanied by a man almost a foot taller than her with similar features, stood a mere five feet from him.  "You! You where the ones who attacked us the other night!" he yelled, drawing his wand and pointing it at the pair. 

"Expelliarmus!" Mikael called, and Remus's wand flew from his hand and landed in the street. 

"Were really sorry…" Mara spoke as she stepped forward. 

"What do you want? If it has something to do with Harry, you better think twice before getting close to him.  We won't let you touch him." 

Mara blinked. 

"He's too on the defensive, Mara. We're not getting anywhere fast here," Mikael whispered to his sister. 

"Please, just hear us out," Mara pleaded again, sounding sincere. 

"I don't want anything to do with you.  Now, if you'll excuse me." Lupin gave his back to the vampires and rushed down the street in a steady pace, picking up his wand along the way and gaining a good distance from the spot.  He often glanced behind him, spotting nothing and cursing silently that his sense of smell was useless when it came to vampires. 

He was three houses away from Twelve Grimmauld Place, in the same spot where he and Harry had been ambushed the last time, and just like that, they appeared again. 

"We request that you hear us out," Mikael spoke very solemnly. 

"Not interested," Remus said. 

Mikael scowled at the response and vanished suddenly, reappearing again beside Remus and snatching his wrist.  "I'm really sorry, but we just can't let you leave." 

~~~ 

Sirius sat at the kitchen table, sipping from a mug of coffee.  Its twin sat in front of him, already cold. 

He shifted nervously and walked towards the house's entrance, a peculiar feeling rolling over him. He stopped by the main door and opened it; he could have sworn he had heard his name. 

One step outside, then another. 

Then he heard it. 

"Sirius!" 

"Remus!" Sirius gasped, instantly taking his Animagus form and running toward the source of the scream. 

~~~ 

Remus stared at his wand that lay a few feet from him; it was the second time that night that it had flown out of his hand. He had lost it again after escaping from Mikael's grip and screaming Sirius' name. He glared at the vampires in front of him. Remus didn't know what they wanted, but he was at least certain that it had to do with him and not with Harry. But what could they possibly want with him? 

They vanished again, and suddenly they were beside him, one on each side, grabbing his wrists again. Remus had a second to glance at each of them, their emerald eyes gleaming in the dark, before a blow landed on the back of his neck and his world went black. 

~~~ 

Mikael took Lupin's weight into his own hands as the werewolf collapsed and placed the body over his shoulder with a good fireman's hold. 

Mara sighed. "Shall we go?" she asked her brother, who nodded in response. She stepped forward when a black dog, the one from the previous night, appeared from the darkness and sank its teeth into her leg. She screamed, brandishing her sharp nails and slashing at the animal. Her nails connected with one of the dog's legs, and it retreated for a second, giving the twins enough time to propel themselves from the ground and into the air, Remus still unconscious over Mikael's shoulder. 

Mara glanced at the shrinking ground as she flew upwards, and much to her surprise, she witnessed the black dog taking the shape of a man and starting to scream after them. 

"Remus!" 

~TBC~


	3. Waking up in a strange place

The Midnight Club 

By Myka

Chapter 3

A/N: First; sorry for the huge delay. But between school and trying to finish another fic this got put on hold. But my interest in finishing this story has increased the closer June comes ^-^

This chapter is not at it's best; trust me, I know. But I hope this will be only temporary until I get back into writing Sirius/Remus once more.

~~~

Sirius stared at the dark sky until there was nothing to see but the moon and the stars. He lowered his gaze back to his surroundings, his heart thumping wildly in his chest and beating in his ears, he closed his hands in two fists, and took a deep breath.

Remus was gone, and right now Sirius couldn't afford to lose his self control. Now he needed to find something that would help him in getting Remus back. The minutes right after a kidnapping were the most crucial ones, he knew, and he had to find something that would lead him to the vampires; if they had just run instead of flown he could have followed their scent in his dog form. 

He searched the area nearby and came up immediately with Remus's wand. He placed it inside one of his inner pockets where he knew it would be safe. A second search revealed what he was looking for, or at least he hoped: a nametag, specifically an employee's nametag for a twenty-four-hour supermarket located a few miles from his house. He had been to that place once when he had a two a.m. craving. It was the only clue he had. He put the nametag where it couldn't get lost, transformed once more, and ran.

~~~ 

Mara landed swiftly on the front lawn of a big, two-story house. Mikael was right behind her. 

"Well, that was a bit more troublesome that I thought it'd be," she said briskly.

Mikael frowned at her. "Just open the door, Mara. He's not that light, you know."

"Poor little brother," she mocked. "Lost your strength?"

"Just open the door, Mara. Or do you want someone to see us and call the police?"

"We live in the middle of nowhere, Mikael," she responded as she opened the door. She held the door open and mockingly offered a slight bow, allowing Mikael to enter before her. He glared at her as he stepped inside and placed the unconscious Remus on the sofa in the foyer. Mara locked the door as Mikael stretched the muscles on his shoulder. 

"I'm hungry," Mara declared.

Mikael just rolled his eyes at her. "I don't have time for this, Mara. I have to be at work by eleven. I don't have time to go hunting."

"But we haven't eaten anything," she whined.

"I'll bring you something on the way back. You can wait, can't you?"

She pouted at him. "I guess so." She looked away for a second as Mikael seemed to be looking for something among his clothes. "Have you seen my nametag?" he asked.

"What about him?" Mara asked suddenly, having completely ignored her brother. "I could feed off of him; no one would notice."

"No, Mara!" Mikael yelled. "_He_ would notice, and if he tells Gustav, it would mean more trouble than we want." 

Mara frowned at her brother and growled under her breath. "Fine. But what should we do with him? We can't leave him on that couch. It's not like he's human. He'll wake up soon, and I don't think he'll be too happy with us."

"Of course he won't! We kidnapped him!" 

"But we had no choice!"

"I think we were too rash -- Never mind, it's not like it matters now." Mikael walked over to Remus and picked him up again. "I'm taking him downstairs, Mara. Can you please look for my nametag? I don't want to be too late for work."

Mara rolled her eyes at him but searched anyway. 

~~~

Everything felt like a blur, and his neck definitely hurt. Nonetheless, Remus opened his eyes and tried to see where he was, which was in a room he didn't recognize. He placed a hand on his head as he sat up on the bed on which he had been left. He groaned softly and looked around the room.

It was a small room, and it had no windows. There was a small table in a corner, and the light bulb that kept the room lit seemed to be on its last straw, giving the room an eerie appearance. The room seemed to be used primarily as storage space.

The door that was right in front of Remus opened, and a man entered the room, dressed in full wizard clothes. The man seemed to be in his mid-fifties, and his eyes looked tired. "Mr. Lupin?" the man asked as he closed the door.

Remus searched trough his clothes for his wand, but it wasn't there. He backed down a bit just in case, even though he didn't sense any form of hostility from the man. "What is this place?" Remus asked warily.

"You're in my home, Mr. Lupin," the man answered. "My name is Gustav Reid." The man came closer and offered his hand in greeting. Remus refused to take it, and Gustav withdrew the hand. "First, allow me to apologize for the way you were brought here."   

Remus stared hard at him. "Taken, you mean," he replied angrily. "Why am I here?"

"I never meant for you to get kidnapped by my associates, Mr. Lupin," Gustav said earnestly. 

But Remus didn't want to hear any of it. "Why am I here?" he asked again. 

Gustav stood still for a while then retreated a few steps. Remus was silently grateful for the distance. "We need your help, Mr. Lupin," Gustav said. 

Remus blinked. "My help?"

Gustav nodded. "Please hear me out. Half an hour of your time is all I want, then we'll let you go."


	4. Just like you

The Midnight Club

By myka

Chapter 4

* * *

Remus sat quietly, in silence, his thoughts torn between two sides. On one side was his duty to the Order and all his responsibilities, yet on the other side was what Gustav had just told him. He couldn't help feeling curiosity. Also, he wanted an explanation. He would hear what this man had to say. "I'm listening," Remus said, trying to hide his desire for this to be over so he could go home to Sirius.

Gustav smiled pleasantly at the acceptance and went straight to business. "I'm sure you're familiar with how the Muggle world sees our kind, Mr. Lupin: not wizards, but werewolves, vampires, goblins and all those beings."

"But you're not a werewolf or a vampire."

"No… My father was a werewolf; we lived in Russia in a small community with others like us. We didn't have Wolfsbane back then, and one night my father escaped from his shackles and ended up in a nearby Muggle town. He killed someone… and they killed him, hunted him. Then they went after us. Our town was burned, and we fled. Our numbers rounded the hundreds when we left, among them werewolves, vampires, fairies and goblins. But the townsmen wanted revenge, they wanted us dead. They started hunting us."

"Hunting?" Remus asked, horrified by the concept.

Gustav nodded. "We traveled all of Russia, trying to escape them, but they always caught up to us somehow. We killed in order to protect ourselves, and sometimes we even had years were nothing would happen. Then they would return and hunt us once more, passing their hatred through the generations. Mikael, Mara and I are the only ones left."

"Three? Out of more than a hundred?"

Gustav nodded again. "Their parents and older brother were killed last year. It's been hard for them, they're only teenagers. Impulsive, they often forget to plan ahead."

"Why didn't you seek help?" Remus asked.

"All those who lived in the town were already banned from the wizarding world, either for having committed a crime or just for being alive. Either way, we grew out of the wizarding world; it's really never been a choice of going back for help."

Remus blinked and frowned a bit. Gustav noticed the manner and smiled softly. "I don't expect you to completely understand how we've lived so far, Mr. Lupin, but I assure you that all I have told you is true."

Remus sat still. It sounded true; it was too an elaborate story not to be true. "I still don't understand where I fit in all this," he said, and the smile disappeared from Gustav's face.

"Luka."

"Excuse me," Remus blinked.

"Luka is another survivor of our community. He was kidnapped by our pursuers two weeks ago. He's just thirteen years old; he was born after our town was burned, and he's a werewolf."

"At such a young age?"

"He was born a werewolf; a pureblood; and the last of his family."

Remus let the information sink in. Indeed he had been very young when he was bitten, but his was a rare accident. To be born a werewolf… He thought once more what role he played in this little war he had been dragged into, all the pieces connecting in his mind. Gustav said that Luka had been taken two weeks earlier, the full moon was a little more than a week away. "You want me to help you find him, don't you?" Remus asked with assurance.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin. We need your aid in tracking him down."

"Why me?"

Gustav seemed embarrassed at the question, and Remus waited for his answer. "We were keeping tabs on shops that sold ingredients specified only for the Wolfsbane potion, and you were the only patron who bought them." Remus mouth formed a silent 'oh'. Ingenious method; a complete invasion of privacy, but ingenious nonetheless. Gustav continued, "These people, they will want to make sure they're not killing a human, I _know_ they will wait until the full moon to see if Luka turns and he _will_… He's just a child and they are going to kill him just for what he is."

Remus' stomach did a small flip, and he made a face, instantly disgusted and horrified by the whole thing.

"Please, Mr. Lupin… help me get my son back."

When Gustav said 'son,' Remus knew it wasn't on biological terms. He connected the dots from Gustav's story and assumed the man had raised that child from the moment he had lost his parents. Luka was by all means _his_ son. The first thought out of Remus' head was that he wanted to help, to save this child, but then thoughts of his duty to the Order and Sirius popped up. Remus' eyes widened, _"Sirius!"_ He must be worried sick and most likely searching for him and completely ignoring his own safety. Remus sighed loudly and wished he could tell his lover that he was fine.

---

Sirius got to the supermarket in less than two hours.

"Mikael Sokolov," he read the nametag aloud. Coming up with a quick disguise which consisted of tying his hair back, a hat and sunglasses, he walked into the supermarket and asked for the man. The girl at the front told him Mikael was due at work in an hour.

Sirius said his thanks with a slight grin on his face and returned to the darkness of the alley. Now he just had to wait.

An hour passed, and there was no sign of the vampire. Sirius waited patiently. Another hour later, and still nothing. Now Sirius was getting restless. He finally spotted the vampire after midnight, an hour late for his shift. Switching back to his dog form, he lay down in a corner where he could keep a close eye to the market's exit and waited. An hour before dawn Mikael left his job and headed down the street. The vampire had arrived on foot to his job and apparently was leaving in the same way. Sirius followed him discreetly, making sure he wasn't detected and praying that the being didn't decide to fly home.

---

"I have to think about it," Remus answered Gustav in response to his plea for help. "Could you give me half an hour?"

"Yes, of course," Gustav replied kindly as he stood. "I'll be back then," he said, leaving Remus to the silence of the empty basement.

The first thing Remus did once alone was to fall on the bed on which he was sitting. He was exhausted, his body constantly demanding sleep from him, since apparently unconsciousness wasn't a replacement for real sleep. Remus considered the pros and the cons of helping Gustav. He thought of the child, Luka, and imagined how scared he must be, having been taken away from his family. He wanted to help, he really did, but there were other things right now that took priority over helping strangers.

And what about Sirius? Did Sirius even know what had happened? Remus tried thinking back to earlier that night when the vampires had taken him, and all he could recollect was screaming Sirius' name before he was knocked unconscious. He had to call home, whether Sirius had heard him or not. He glanced at his watch. Past five in the morning; it would be dawn soon.

Remus walked to the door and found it open. He blinked at the spiral staircase before him, finding it unusual, and as he headed up it, he couldn't help but feel slightly claustrophobic. The walls were painted a tone of red that resembled wine, and at the end of the staircase there was another door that was also unlocked. The door gave access to a hall, and Remus blinked in surprise when he saw the vampire girl sitting in the middle of it. She blinked her green eyes at him and grinned, exposing her fangs on purpose. Remus frowned at her. She rose from the floor swiftly, the movement barely noticeable.

"I guess you're ready to tell Gustav your decision," she said. "Please stay here-" her grin broadened-"it's not like you can go very far even if you run away." Remus' frown deepened, the girl already settling on his dislike. The second she was out of sight, he followed her steps. He reached the main foyer and spotted the door which he presumed led outside, then he found a chair and sat on it. He wasn't just leaving like that.

Gustav appeared moments after, clutching a frame in his hands and tagging Mara after him. "Mr. Lupin, we were searching for you."

Remus stood. "I was just looking for someplace to sit," he lied.

"I assume you've reached a decision?" the aged wizard spoke.

Remus nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, but I-"

The front door opened, and everyone looked over as a reflex. Mikael entered the house and closed the door behind him, putting the bag of groceries aside. His eyes looked surprised at the scene before him, but he soon relaxed after spotting Gustav.

"Where's dinner? I'm starving," Mara declared as she went over to her brother.

"Oops," Mikael voiced under his breath.

"You forgot?" Mara yelled. "Mikael," she groaned.

"Look, I'm sorry. We'll just have to eat what's left on the fridge."

"But I want something warm!" she huffed as she opened the front door.

Mikael blocked her path instantly. "Did you see what time it is? It will be dawn in less than an hour!"

Gustav sighed loudly enough to catch Remus' attention. "Excuse me for a moment, Mr. Lupin. Could you please hold this for a second?" He handed Remus the frame he'd been clutching and walked over to where the siblings were having their discussion. Remus blinked slowly then looked at what the man had given him. It was a Muggle picture, so it didn't move. The frame held a picture of a smiling child. The boy had brown hair and sat smiling in the middle of a mass of brown leaves; the picture had most likely been taken the previous fall season. Remus knew the child was Luka.

The noise from the door caught his attention again, then suddenly there was a growl, and Mikael stumbled into the house and fell to the floor, a huge black dog on top of him. Sirius growled and bit down on Mikael's shoulder, forcing a scream from the vampire. There was a second growl, but this one came from Mara, who had been thrown back by Sirius's sudden entrance but who was now hissing at him. She made her hand look like a claw with her sharp nails and wasted no time in slashing at Sirius.

"Stop!" Remus screamed, dropping the frame in his hands and running toward his lover.

But Mara's attack never connected as she was thrown back by a charm. She landed against a near wall and tried to stand once more until Gustav stopped before her, a serious look in his eyes as he clutched his wand. She remained still.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled. The dog's eyes widen in recognition, and he released his hold on the vampire immediately as he ran to Remus. Halfway across the distance he transformed back and wrapped his arms around him.

"You're all right," he whispered against his ear.

"I'm fine," Remus said softly, smiling.

Someone cleared his throat, and Sirius instantly stepped away from Remus and pushed him behind as he glared at Gustav and the pair of vampires who now stood behind him. The man just looked at them with what Remus assumed was understanding. Mara's eyes looked surprised, and her brother just stood there, his face blank.

"It's all right, Sirius," Remus said, putting a hand on his lover's shoulder. Sirius glanced at him and they exchanged looks for a moment. Sirius then nodded and moved to Remus' side, but not before grabbing his hand and holding it tight, making it clear to those in the room with whom it was that Remus belonged.

"I believe I owe you an answer, Mr. Reid," Remus said seriously as he squeezed Sirius's hand in reassurance. "I want to help."

Gustav smiled gratefully at Remus. "Thank you," he said, his voice reflecting that a huge load had been lifted from his chest. The surprise left Mara's face, and she smiled, too. Mikael walked over to Remus, extending his hand in a formal greeting.

"Welcome to the Midnight Club."


End file.
